Description

A generic, easy-to-learn communication tool for anyone with speech disabilities, which forms grammatically correct sentences when a series of pictograms are clicked and then speaks them aloud (text-to-speech). Because of the pictograms, this tool is especially good for children or those who have limited reading and writing abilities.

It is different from most existing products by being free and by its natural language generation with features such as inflection, tenses, using the user's gender (via settings) to alter the first-person sentences and more.

Also, my friends have found using this application to be a fun way to learn basics of new language. :)

The application includes 1000+ icons, categorised and accessible through search. It supports French pretty well, and there is a prototype for English.

Other features include:* recent pictograms (each category has a tab listing most recently used ones)* icons tagged with the 6 SPC colors (actions, names, descriptives etc.) for easier identification* option to display text in capital letters* option to softly speak each individual word when icon is pressed* compatibility with both tablets and mobile phones

DONATE TO HELP THIS IMPROVE:If you liked the application, you may donate to allow me to add new features/improvements much more quickly: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=DY6954755BM48

INSTALLATION:* Make sure you have a text-to-speech engine properly installed (depending on your device, go to “Settings –> Language & Input-> Text-to-Speech output”, or to “Settings->Install voice data” or alike).* To use French or English you have to set your phone/tablet language to the one you wish to use (go to your phone settings)

CONTENT LICENSE:The application includes 5000+ ARASAAC pictograms limited to non-commercial use (Creative Commons) that must be redistributed under the same licence.Author of the pictograms: Sergio Palao / Origin: ARASAAC / License: CC (BY-NC-SA)

My review

Review from A Google User

A Google User

The idea is good but... I wanted to use this for my ten year old who has communication issues and there were words like vagina and vulva. This is good for teens and adults but not kids.

Reviews

3.5

213 total

5 89

4 26

3 40

2 21

1 37

Anthony Martin

I like it and it seem like what we need. I think we would try to ues it for my son. Who's on the spectrum and is 8yrs old. He has some speech but not much. This would work well for him to describe his own feelings. However it seems like it would be difficult for him to understand how to use it. It needs less "categories"(e.g nouns, verbs) and more 3 word fragment sentences using sightwords. It's a bit to advanced for his age group. Also It keeps crashing. You've definitely got something good going though.

Roman Michael

Not for everyone I was looking for an app to help a friend communicate, after she landed in the hospital. Unfortunately, most of the apps (including this one) assume that the person can open their eyes. This app is unusually large, so I have to uninstall it. Thankfully, there is another app called TouchSpeller and it allows anyone to spell words using only one finger, even if they can't see the screen.

Braden Marr

Nice idea but poorly executed Some issues with text to speech: the pronunciation of the word, "category" is like kate-eh-gory. Even someone from down under might have issues with the sound of this. Some incorrectly spelled words translate to text to speech incorrectly, such as "scissors" spelled "scissorses". App needs work if communication is to have accuracy.

Does no work for me tablet. For some reason, after i updated the app, it stopped working and crashes on start. So have uninstalled it

Meghan Williams

Doesn't work Tried downloading it twice. Crashes as soon as I open it.

User reviews

Anthony Martin October 6, 2015

I like it and it seem like what we need. I think we would try to ues it for my son. Who's on the spectrum and is 8yrs old. He has some speech but not much. This would work well for him to describe his own feelings. However it seems like it would be difficult for him to understand how to use it. It needs less "categories"(e.g nouns, verbs) and more 3 word fragment sentences using sightwords. It's a bit to advanced for his age group. Also It keeps crashing. You've definitely got something good going though.

Not for everyone I was looking for an app to help a friend communicate, after she landed in the hospital. Unfortunately, most of the apps (including this one) assume that the person can open their eyes. This app is unusually large, so I have to uninstall it. Thankfully, there is another app called TouchSpeller and it allows anyone to spell words using only one finger, even if they can't see the screen.

Nice idea but poorly executed Some issues with text to speech: the pronunciation of the word, "category" is like kate-eh-gory. Even someone from down under might have issues with the sound of this. Some incorrectly spelled words translate to text to speech incorrectly, such as "scissors" spelled "scissorses". App needs work if communication is to have accuracy.

MAY GOD BLESS THIS DEVELOPER This Augmentative and Alternative Communication App is way too much helpful for speech disabled people. I found it very diversed and with loads of options, helping person to talk with others.

Need spanish and other languages to be included Cant switch app to spanish and when my spanish clients use the app on their devices with spanish language as a default language setting it operates in frech. Please help/ fix and and other language support.

Good software I am part of a AAC user group at the University of Dundee and this app has generated a lot of interest. A bit difficult on the phone for people who also mobility issues but would be great for tablet. Has a lot of tiles with nearly everything a person would want to say and seems very user friendly. Only problem is most of the group have iPad's,is this app going to be available on apple ?

no plans for ipad... chekout the new version, which has support for tablets!

Lily Tellez Riojas August 12, 2014

Doesn't work I downloaded the app fine. When I try to use it, it tells me it needs to download 29mb of data. I say OK. Then it closes the app. Says stopped working. And yes I have more than 20mb of room and I'm on wifi.

Super....but pecs also has lil higher level . kids with mild autism can recognise written words...and use them as symbols of communication. ?.pls get us something for those kids Pls update the list by adding more frequently used words...I m special educator and aba therapist